Pipe Creek Township in Grissom Air Force Base in Miami County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Republic Aircraft F-84F
51-9456
| — | Grissom Air Museum | — |
Photographed by Craig Doda, September 5, 2026
1. Republic Aircraft F-84F Marker
Manufacture: Republic Aircraft
Designation: F-84F
Serial Number: 51-9456
Official name: Thunderstreak
Nicknames: "Super Hog", "World's Fastest Tricycle", "Iron Crowbar" Thuds Mother", and the "Lead Sled".
Function: Single-Seat Jet-Powered Fighter-Bomber
Cost: $769,000
Crew: One
Wingspan: 33'7"
Length: 43'5"
Height: 15'
Power plant: 1 x Wright J65-W-3 turbojet engine developing 7,220 lb of thrust.
Empty weight: 13,830 lb
Max T/O weight: 28,001 lb
Service ceiling: 45,997 feet
Range: 860 miles
Armament: 6x .50 in Browning M3 machine guns. Up to 6,000lb of rockets and bombs, including one Mark 7 nuclear bomb.
Number Built: Republic built 2,112 "-F"s while General Motors fabricated an additional 599. Of these, 1,301 were delivered to NATO air forces. Production of a reconnaissance version, the RF-84F, totaled 718 aircraft, including 386 for allied countries.
Year built: Our F-84F, 1951
Year retired: The Air National Guard was the last American user of the F-84, discontinuing use of the type in 1971 (F-84F). Greece became the last operator of the aircraft when it discontinued use in 1991, operating
this page online
Mission:
The swept-wing F-84F evolved from the straight-wing F-84. The prototype first flew on June 3, 1950 and deliveries began in 1954, primarily to the tactical Air Command as a ground support fighter bomber. Operationally, the F-84 led a distinguished career especially when considering its exploits in the Korean War. When initially delivered on December 7th, 1950, F-84's were charged with the protection of the Boeing B-29 Superfortresses against North Korean fighters.
F-84 Firsts and Lasts:
The F-84 achieved many "firsts" for the United States. It became the first post-World War 2 fighter to enter production, the first USAF jet fighter to carry a nuclear payload (F-84G), the first aircraft utilized by the Thunderbirds acrobatic team (F-84G and F-84F) and the first aircraft to make use of a refueling probe for in-flight refueling. The USAF Thunderbirds flew the F-84G from 1953 to 1955 while the F-84F Thunderstreak was selected from 1955 to 1956. The F-84 was the last USAF subsonic fighter to feature straight wings.
This exhibit is the property of the US Air Force and maintained through your participation in the Grissom
Photographed by Craig Doda, September 5, 2026
2. Republic Aircraft F-84F Marker
Erected by Grissom Air Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military • War, Korean. A significant historical date for this entry is June 3, 1950.
Location. 40° 40.203′ N, 86° 7.798′ W. Marker is in Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, in Miami County. It is in Pipe Creek Township. It is at the intersection of West Hoosier Boulevard and U.S. 31, on the right when traveling west on West Hoosier Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1000 W Hoosier Boulevard, Peru IN 46970, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Boeing KC-97L (a few steps from this marker); Cessna U-3A (a few steps from this marker); Grumman C-1A (within shouting distance of this marker); Fairchild C-119G (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Douglas Aircraft C-47D and C-47B (within shouting distance of this marker); B-58 Hustler (within shouting distance of this marker); Lockheed D-21 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Grissom Air Force Base.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 16, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 16, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
